Textile machine yarn conditioner



/ y 'H..JANsEN' 2,166,548

TEXTILE MACHINE YARN CONDITIONER Filed Oct. 28, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: JZxmssaw A TTORNEY.

July 18, 1939.

|- JANSSEN TEXTILE MACHINE YARN CONDITIONER 4 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 28, 1936 4 H. JANSSEN 'TEX'I'ILE MACHINE YARN CONDITIONER v 4 Sheets-Sheet s July 18, 1939.

Filed Oct. 28, 1936 INVENTOR:

B W I ATTORNE.

Hex n JJnssezg Y e July 18, 1939. Y H. JANSSEN 2,166,548

TEXTILE MACHINE YARN CONDITIONER Filed Oct. 28, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN TOR. flown J5ns5en,

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED [STATES PATENT orrlcs TEXTILE MACHINE YARN CONDITIONER Henry Janssen, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomlssing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 28, 1936, Serial No. 107,922

\ 7 Claims.

My invention relates to knitting-machine yarn conditioners, and particularly to means for humidifying the air in the yam-enclosing housings of multi-section straight knitting machines.

Heretofore, it has been usual to condition the yarn, particularly fine silk yarns for muti-section full-fashioned stocking knitting machines, by having it on cones in so-called moistening boxes for feeding through openings in the top walls of the boxes to the knitting-mechanisms; the boxes containing pools of water to render the air in the boxes humid.

It has also been suggested, in my copending application, Serial'No. 13,858, filed March 30,

15 1935, issued January 5, 1937, as Patent No. 2,066,-

281, for the Method of and means for efiecting vapor treatment of yarn in a yarn fabricating machine, to vapor-treat the yarn by poweroperated units, and to have all the yarns of a 20 multi-section straight knitting machine in a unit housing made up of separable longitudinal sections, to operate with the vapor-producing units and/or the water pools.

The unit housing structure may comprise r 25 either what may be more properly termed a unit housing made up of component sections, or what may appear more like individual housings joined by conduits, in either case subjecting all the yarns to more nearly equal treatment than with 30 the separate individual box structure.

However, the'problem, of uniformly distributing the vapor from a power-operated unit in either of such multi-section housings, so that all of the yarns will be treated alike, with none 35 receiving too much moisture, and none too little, has not been free from difficulty; certain of the trouble probably resulting from dead-air spaces, obstructions to the flow of vapor causing eddy currents, leakage of the air, diiferences in opera- 4 tion caused by housings of different design, back pressure, and other causes. I

Also, the control of the vapor temperature, the relative freshness or staleness of the air in the housings, the manufacture, assembly, location.

45 repair and other factors associated with the unit housing, have caused problems of one kind or another.

It is an object of this invention to overcome certain of the above-mentioned disadvantages,

5 and to thereby provide a more effective device, as

by boosting, at a position removed from a power- Operated vapor-producing unit, the impulses given to the circulating vapor-carrying air by the vapor-producing unit. 55 Another object is to heat the vapor, rather than the water body from which the vapor is produced, and to effect this heating closer to the yarn than .by heating the water body, to thereby compensate for the loss of heat which may be caused by vaporizing the water after heating the water body and conducting it a substantial distance away from the heating source.

Another object is to better control the temperature of the vapor by means more directly responsive to temperature changes in the housing than in devices herebefore constructed.

Another object is to reduce dead air spaces and eddy currents and to cause more uniform filling of the housing with vapor in better condition.

Another object is to effectively and definitely control the discharge of stale air from, and the injection of fresh air into, a housing, as against letting this feature take care of itself, as irregularly, or in any other way that it might occur.

A further object is to promote the more efiective flow of vapor, by reducing or preventing back pressure, by providing a return-vapor or air current to the vapor-producing unit, by compensating for pressure drop along an elongated housing, by compensating for bends or turns in the vapor path, and in other ways.

With these and other objects in view, my invention resides in the elements of novel structure, combination and operation, exemplified by the drawings, and described in the specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view, in rear elevation, of a multisection straight knitting machine, showing a multi-section yarn-treating housing of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, taken along the line 4 3-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of certain of the apparatus, as viewed in Fig. 1, parts being in elevation and parts being in vertical-plane section, distance cut-outs also being employed to show end and intermediate sections, without unnecessary repetition; I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view, taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view, taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail front elevational view of a thermostat employed in the invention, as viewed in Fig. 5;

Fig.9 is a slightly enlarged detail view partially 'in vertical-plane section, of a device, seen near the lower right hand portion of Fig. 5, for regulating the egress of stale air and the ingress of fresh air to the conduit system according to the invention;

Fig. 10 is a vertical-plane sectional view of the device of Fig. 9, taken at right angles thereto; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view, taken along the line llll of Fig. 7, together with a diagram of an electric circuit associated with the device.

For clearness, only those elements of a usual knitting machine for which the invention is ducing unit in one part or section thereof, a vapor heater, a vapor-impulse boosting and redirecting 'fan or blower, temperature and humidity respon sive means, a constricted return conduit or section from the housing to the vapor-producing unit, and an air controller.

I To conserve space, one portion of the conduit section containing the vapor-producing unit may vertically depend from a horizontal portion of this section which will thereby be disposed at right angles thereto and enter one end of the housing; this conduit section being relatively large in cross-sectional area, and the portions thus being at right angles to each other having a bend or turn therebetween for the passage of vapor from the unit to the housing.

In the horizontal large conduit section, directly associated with the housing, a heater is disposed; this heater, in the example given, taking the form of an armored electrical resistor extending spirally in a cross-sectional plane of the conduit to, have widely and uniformly distributed surface contact with the vapor-carrying air passing therethrough. Screens, cell structures and other devices of electrical, hot water or other heaters could be employed and otherwise located.

At the bend, between the right-angularly related portions of the unit-containing conduit section, adjacent to the housing, an impeller or fan is disposed to pick-up and boost, or. reimpel, the vapor-laden air which has already been impelled toward the bend by the vapor-producing unit; this reimpulse being directed through, for past, the heater along the elongated housing conduit section, or series of separable sections, whereby not only to compensate for drop in the pressure of the vapor, but also to prevent air swirls or eddy currents from the bend or turn between the right-angularly related patterns of the conduit section. containing the vapor-producing unit. Thus, instead of whirling, concentrating or hesitating at the entrance end of the'housing conduit section, the vapor-carrying air is given an impulse at this entrance whereby to more uniformly carry the vapor along the housing to the other end thereof. A booster impeller or im pellers may be placed at other positions about the vapor circuit.

Also, where, as in the past, there has been no vent or exit for air at a position, such as the end of the housing spaced some distance from the air entrance, there has been a tendency to form a dead air space, and to bdilu up back pressure reducing the amount of vapor received by the dead-air space and other parts of the housing. In my device, an exit port has been provided near the extreme opposite end of the housing from the end at which the vapor is introtion around the closed-loop path which the con- L duit system constitutes.

A hydrostat and a thermostat, disposed directly in the housing, and thereby more immediately affected in accordance with the humidity and temperature conditions at the place where close control of these conditions is desired, control the operation of the vapor-producing unit and the vapor heater, respectively, which, in the examplegiven, are located some distance from certain parts of the housing. .Thus, several factors bearing on the operation of the device, and the effective treatment of the yarn, have been improved, and a device provided which is generally of advantage in the art.

Referring to Fig. 1, a multi-section full-fashioned knitting machine comprises a support, and various working parts on the support, such as a Coulier motion mechanism C and others (not shown). The support includes center frames II, end frames it, a back beam l1, and a center bed l9. Gallows 22, secured to the machine frame at the ends of the machine, and gallows 23, secured to the machine frame intermediate the end brackets 22, support yarn guide rods 25.

H Brackets 21, secured to, or integral with, the

' end gallows 22,'and brackets 28, similarly related to the intermediate gallows 23, support, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, a right end section 20, a plurality of intermediate sections 3|, and a left-end section 32, of a multi-section yarn-conditioning housing H, which sections are separable, and communicate with one another from a vaporentrance right-end wall 34 of the right-end section to a constricted outlet port 35 near a leftend wall 36 of the left-end sections 32. see also Fig. 3. The port 35 has a butterfly valve 31 therein, whereby the port opening may be regulated to adjust the back pressure in the housing, and the rate of return of spent air to the unit V. The housings, constructed of sheet metal and glass, fit rabbet groove portions 38 in the end brackets 21 and have abutting end flanges 39 between sections near the central vertical planes of the intermediate brackets 28, (Fig. 4) providing large connecting openings between ad jacent boxes. Eyelets d2, of porcelain or the like, constitute wall-aperture means providing for the feeding of yarn from supply cones l3 supporte on bobbin pins 44.

As better seen in Figs. 2 and 6, the brackets 21 and 28 are. of substantially c-shape disposed in vertical planes and facing rearwardly of the machine for the reception, between the arms of the c-shaped portions, of the housing sections.

which are positioned as indicated, and held ini-ns place by clamps 46 secured to the brackets 21 and 28.

Ahorizontal conduit section 41 of relatively large diameter has an end flange 48 sealed about a correspondingly large opening in the entrance end wall 34, and is connected by a bend portion 49 to a vertical conduit section 52 having a removable bottom wall 53.

A power-operated vapor-producing unit V, Figs. 7 and 11, is supported in position in the conduit section 52 by projecting lug portions 54- thereof held on brackets 55 by screws .58; the brackets 55 being riveted to the conduit.

A conduit 58, of constricted diameterv relative to the diameter of the conduit portions 41, 49 and 52, and to the cross-sectional area of the housing H, provides communication between the ,port 35 and the conduit section 52 at a position on the latter below the vapor-producing unit V; the spent vapor-carrying air traversing the conduit 58 through a control valve device B. The conduit section 52 is transversely divided along a line 51 surrounded by a longitudinally slidable sleeve 65, and .detachably connected to the conduit 58 by a clamp 66 to provide for the lateral removal of the unit from under the upper part of the conduit 52 for inspection 'and repair. Pins 50, fixed to the conduit 52 above the line 51, cooperatewith slots in the sleeve 65; the slots each having angularly related portions whereby the sleeve may be raised above the line 51 and turned to be held by the pins 50, when the lower portion of the conduit'52 containing the unit V is to be removed.

The device B, Figs. 9 and 10, comprises a flatsided box-like casing 59 having opposite side wall vents or apertures BI and 62, respectively, to be opened and closed simultaneously by doors 63 and 64, respectively, which are fixed to a shaft 61 in the casing 59, journaled in side walls of the easing. A butterfly vane 68, on, the shaft 61, operates when a handle 69' on the shaft 61 is operated in one direction to turn the shaft, to close the butterfly vane 68 across the path of air through the control valve device B, and to withdraw the 'vanes 63 and 64 from over the apertures SI and 52.

When the butterfly vane is in fully closed position, obstructing passage of all air throughthe control depice B from the port 35 to the conduit 52, the apertures GI and 62 are fully open. In this position of parts, the spent air from the port 35, if it be unduly stale, is diverted from the conduit and housing system through the system, with a proportionate amount of the spent air mingling with the fresh air for return to the vapor-producing unit. Thus, if, under certain conditions, the so-called spentair, or air that has circulated past the bobbins, reaches the control device B sufficiently fresh, or with sufflcient fresh vapor still in it, the butterfly valve 88 will be kept in position to allow all of the internal air of the system to recirculate through it, and conversely the valve 68 will be kept fully or partially open according to the condition of the exhaust air from the port 35.

As best shown in Fig. 11, the vapor-producing unit further comprises a tank 1| having the lugs 54, and constituting a source of water or other liquid. An apertured depending .top wall 12 of the tank 1| constitutes a base ring or support for a basin rim 13 having a bottom perimeter 16 sealed about the perimeter of the opening in the ring 12; the rim 13 being of inverted substantially frusto-conical shape having a top flange 11 to -which a basin cover 18 is secured in sealed relation thereto, as by bolts 19.

The basin cover 18 is in the form of an inverted funnel having a reduced open top 8|. A dome 82 conforming generally to, but substantially larger than, the basin cover 18, is disposed over and around the cover on the base ring 12 to which a bottom flange 83 of the dome is sealingly secured; the top 84 of the dome 82 being disposed somewhat below the uppermost portion of the open top 8|.

Rubber bushings 81, on the base ring 12, project upwardly through apertures in the basin -rim 13 in sealed relation thereto, and enclose bolts or supports on which clips 89 are supported. Angle elements 9|, secured to the clips 89, are also secured to the lower portion of a dome-like cover 92 for a motor M near the bottom of the cover, which has an annular bottom flange 93 sealingly seated on a grid element 94 in the form of an inverted pan having peripherally-spaced vertical side wall slots, a bottom perimeter sealingly fitted in the bottom perimeter of the basin rim 13, and a. slightly elevated closed top wall 91 about which the cover 92 fits. Relatively long bolts 98 are secured to the grid top 91, and support the stator of the motor M, which stator comprises an electromagnet field iron portion 99 and coils |0|.

A top bridge I02, between the bolts 88, supports the shaft I03 of the armature of the motor M; the lower end of the shaft I03 being pofan I05 is provided on the shaft I03 for cooling sitioned by the top wall 91 of the grid 94. A fan I05 is provided on the shaft I03 for cooling the motor M. a

A disc I01, and a cone I08 in the form of a. downwardly-converging tapered tube, are supported at the lower end of the shaft I83 such that, upon high speed rotation of the shaft, water from the tank 1| is drawn upwardly in the cone I08 and whirled by the disc I01 through the slots of the grid 94, being broken up intofine particles as it is impelled into the space I09 formed in the basin rim 13, and the basin cover 18.

The air draft, from a fan .I I2 travels upwardly through a. space II4, between the dome 82 and the conduit section 52, past the basin top 8|, tending to create a. vacuum in the basin whereby to atomize the water particles into a fine vapor, which is impelled upwardly toward the conduit bend 49, and around this bend to a fan IIG operated by a motor M2 supported by the conduit 41 through a bracket II1. the impulse given to the vapor laden air by the unit V and redirects it through or past a heater 9 longitudinally through the housing H and its series of sections 30, 3| and 32. The fan H2 is mounted on the shaft II3 of a. motor M3 supported by brackets I2I to lower portions of the tank 1|, the sloping sides of which assist in directing air drafts from the fan I I2, upwardly and around the tank into the space I I4.

A body of water, or other liquid I22, in the tank 1|, is maintained at a substantially constant level, irrespective of its rate of consumption by the unit, by a float lever I23 pivotally mounted on a bracket I 24 depending from the base ring 12, and having a ,ball float at one end and a valve seat at the upper end of a water inlet supply pipe I21, The latter, and an overflow pipe I25 closely adjacent thereto, which determines the level of the liquid I22, extend through the bottom wall of the tank H to which they are sealed by a bushing I23, and communicate, respectively, with a supply line pipe I 3I and a disaiarge line pipe I32, which extend through the wall of the conduit 52through bushings I33. Conduits I3I and I32 are also detachably connected, adjacent to the uriitV, to outside supply and outlet pipes therefor.

The heater I I5, as better seen in Fig. 6, comprises .an armored resistor, of a known type, of spiral shape having convolutions spaced from each other to allow the free passage'of vapor therethrough from the unit V, and as reimpelled and directed by the fan I I5, which, like the spiral heater ,I I9, is disposed in a vertical plane and directs the vapor-carrying air horizontally through the housing H. The ends of the spiral are supported by a bushing I34 mounted in an opening extending through a side wall portion of the conduit portion 41.

In its passage along the housing, the vapor a1- fects a thermostat T and a hydrostat P to control the heater II! and the vapor-producing unit V, respectively.

The hydrostat, which is of usual character, and describedin my above-mentioned copending application,comprisesa moisture sensitive-element, such as a horse hair I35, which, when too dry, aflects an electric circuit, to be hereinafter described, to start the vapor-producing unit V and the fan H5, and when, too wet, operates to stop the vapor-producing unit; these starts and stops being regulated to closely control the humidity in the atmosphere of the housing H, by a regulating device I35 of the hydrostat P.

The thermostat T is also of a usual type, comprising a spiral bimetallic temperature responsive element I31, as better seen in Fig. 8, a mercury tube switch I, pivotally mounted on a pin I42, flexible conductors I43 from binding posts I44 to the switch I, a scale I45 over which a pointer I45 is adjusted by a handle I41, and a base or panel I45 on which the working party... are mounted. The bimetallic spiral I31 is fixed at one end I43 to a stationary-partof the device, and, at the other end is secured to the pivotally mounted mercury switch I, whereby, upon expansion and contraction of the spiral, the switch I is opened or closed, as the case may be.

As indicated in Fig. 5, the system derives its electrical energy from supply-line conductors I5I and I52, through a master switch I53, to loadcircuit conductors I54 and I55, respectively.

The circuit of the hydrostat-P and the vaporproducing unit V, extends from the load circuit conductor I54, through a cenductor I55, having a fuse I51 therein, to a mercury tube switch I55 controlled'by the hydrostat P, through a conductor I53 to a point I5I. From the point I5I, current is carried, by a conductor I52, to the motor M3, and from the motor M3, through a conductor I53 to a point I54. From the point I5I, currentis also carried through va conductor I55 to the motor M2 and from the motor M2, through a conductor I55 to the point I54, which is connected through a conductor I55, including a fuse I55 to the opposite load circuit conductor I 55.

The circuit of the thermostat T extends from the conductor I55, through a conductor "I, through the mercury tube switch I4 I, aconductor I 12 to a relay coil I13, andback to the load circuit conductor I55 through a conductor I14 and the conductor I55.

The relay coil I13 controls a switch I15 which opens the circuit of the heater I I5 and closes it througha conductor I15 from the load circuit conductor I54 through the conductor I55 to the heater H9, and through a conductor I11, through the switch I15, the conductor I14 and the conductor I55 to the load-circuit conductor I55.

In operation, assuming the machine to have been idle, and the master switch I53 open, the electrical parts will, of course, have been deenergized, with neither the vapor-producing unit V capable of operation, nor the heater 5 capable of heating.

When the master switch I53 is closed, assuming the humidity or vapor conditions in the housing H to be as desired, the mercury ,tube switch I55 of the hydrostat P will be open, thus retaining the unit V'idle, and, since the circuit of the fan II5, also depends on energization of the circuit of the unit V, this device will also be idle. If the temperature in housing H is, at the same time, as high as desired, thermostat T will be in position to hold switch I open and thereby hold relay I13 and heater II5 inoperative.

However, if at the time of closing the master switch I53, or later, the humidity and temperature in the housing H should be, or become, suffi- 'ciently low, the switch I55 of the humidostat P and the switch I of thermostat T will be closed, or operate to become closed, thereby energizing the vapor-producing unit V, the motor M2 of the fan H5, and the circuits of the thermostat T and the heater H3. Thus there are. provided sensitive systems, side-by-side, for operating the V humidity and the temperature controlling devices simultaneously and independently of each other;

so that irrespective of ambient temperature and humidity, conditions, the corresponding conditions in 'the housing are maintained substantially constant at all times.

' The fan H5, in its capacity of boosting the impulses of the fan II2, also functions to redirect the vapor draft at the conduit bend 49 diiferently fromthe'eifect of merely allowing this draft to 'hit the bend and take its own horizontal and other component directions. The fan H5 thus prevents eddies at and near the bend, and gives the vapor draft a direct longitudinal impulse better adapted to carry it to the far end of the housing.

The fan II5 also serves to build up a pressure in the housing to prevent ingress of untreated air and to assist in the absorption of moisture by the yarn.

By manipulation of the butterfly valve 31, in the constricted port 35, the degree of relief to the vapor pressure, or the degreeof opposition to it, can be regulated to suit different conditions, such as slight variations in the characteristics of different housings, or diiferent locations.

Likewise, the device B may be controlled to vary the air, as to freshness, according to various needs and surrounding conditions.

The invention contemplates the above-described features for the first time so far as I am aware, and by its solution to the problems presented is a iiiizinct improvement in the art to which it re- The improvements specifically shown and described, by which the results are obtained, may be modified in various ways without departing forth and claimed.

I claim:

1. An air-conditioning device for a knitting machine, comprising conduit means including a housing, yarn-supply supporting means in the housing, means providing for the feeding of yarn from the supply through wall-aperture means in the housing to the knitting mechanism of the through wall-aperture means in the housing to the knitting mechanism of the machine, a unit in the conduit for producing vapor and impelling it along the conduitand longitudinally the length of said housing, and means in the conduit spaced from the unit for boosting the impulsion oi the vapor by the unit.

3. An air-conditioning device for a multi-section knitting machine, comprising conduit means including a horizontally elongated housing portion and anotherportion approaching the housing portion at an angle-thereto, yam-supply supporting means in said housing conduit portion, means providing for the feeding of yarn from the supply through wall-aperture means in said housing conduit portion to the knitting mechanism, a vapor-producing unit for impelling vapor along said other conduit portion toward the housing portion, and means adjacent to the intersection of said housing and said other portion of the conduit for boosting the impulsion oi. the vapor and directing it longitudinally through the housing conduit portion.

4. An air-conditioning device for a multi-section straight knitting machine, comprising an elongated housing made up of separable longitudinal sections extending in horizontal series relation along the machine, yarn-supply supporting means in each of said housing sections, means providing for feeding the yarn from the supporting means through top wall-aperture means in the housing sections to the knitting mechanism, the housing having a large opening adjacent to one end and a small opening adjacent to the other end, a conduit of large diameter having a horizontal portion sealed to said one end around said large aperture and a vertical portion depending from said horizontal portion, a vaporproducing unit in said vertical conduit 'portion for directing vapor upwardly into the housing through said large opening, a conduit 0! con-' stricted diameter communicating between said small opening and said vertical conduit portion below said unit, a vapor heater in said horizontal large conduit portion, a fan in said horizontal large conduit portion for impelling the vapor past the heater longitudinally through the housing, a humidostat in the housing for controlling the operation of the unit, a thermostat in the housing for controlling the operation of the heater, and means associated with said constricted conduit providing for expelling stale-air from, and introducing fresh air into, the housing in definitely related quantities.

5. An air-conditioning device for a multi-section straight knitting machine, comprising an elongated housing made up of separable longitudinal sections extending in horizontal series relation to each other along the machine, yarn supply supporting means in each of said housing sections, means providing for feeding the yarn from the supporting means through Wall-aperture means in the housing sections to the knitting mechanism. the housing having openings disposed one adjacent to each end, a conduit sealed cating between the other of said openings and said first conduit, heating means in one of said conduits means in the same conduit as said heating means for impelling the vapor through the housing, means in the housing for governing the operation 01' the unit, means in the housing for controlling said heating means, and means providing for expelling used air from, and introducing fresh air into the housing.

6. The combination of a multi-section knitting machine, a box structure for holding yarn to be knitted by said sections, means for creating an air current through a plurality of said boxes in series, means for adding moisture to said current prior to its entrance to said structure, optionally operable means for retarding the outflow oi the air current from said structure, and means to to said structure.

7. An air conditioning device for a multi-section knitting machine, comprising a horizontally elongated housing of substantially uniform crosssection throughout a large portion oi its length extending along all the sections oi the machine, supporting means in the housing arranged to hold packages of yarn to be knitted tranversely of the length of the housing and in spaced relation the em, a humidifier unit, and means for flowing a moistening current lengthwise through said housing which in volume at all times substantially equals the volume of the housing, including a conduit of substantially the same effective cross-sectional area as said housing for deliverlng current from said unit to one end of the 1 housing and a conduit for returning the current 

